Wear a light

On Dec. 7, at about 5:45 p.m., pitch dark, on a dimly-lit section of Madonna Road, I overtook a cyclist in dark clothing with no light on his/her bike, not even a reflector. If that invisible object had suddenly changed lanes, no doubt I — absolutely sober, both hands on the wheel, undistracted by conversation or media player — would have been blamed for hitting it. Is there no law that says cyclists should have lights on their machines after dark? If not, why isn’t there one?

And don’t get me started on the pedestrians in dark clothes with no flashlight or reflective tape anywhere, who walk on narrow roads without street lights with their backs to oncoming traffic, talking on cellphones and with a dog beside them. Have all these people no common sense? Carry a light, folks — the life you save will be your own.